A parent's peace of mind
by charisma26
Summary: Piper and Leo decide to summon Chris so they can, finally, move on with their lives and try and let go of the pain of losing their son to such unimaginable horror and betrayal... but will it be for the better? set early season seven. please R&R! :)


Disclaimer: Again, ANOTHER Chris story but can you blame me? That guy is awesome! Ha… hope y'all enjoy!

Piper strode up to the attic, her feet eating up the wooden floor. She was a mom with a mission and she was tired of wondering if what she was doing was right. After six years or doing what they did, risking their whole family, didn't she deserve at least some kind of reward? Shouldn't the 'higher power' at least give her some peace of mind?

"Piper, we can't do this" Leo protested, following behind her quickly. Piper whipped around, her anger already brimming to the surface. She needed to do this dammit – it had been five months and she still couldn't move on despite what she had told others. She couldn't get on with her life without knowing her son was living his.

"Dammit Leo we can, don't you want to know that he's okay?" She demanded in a hard voice and Leo's green eyes grew sad and Piper forced herself to take a breath. He was grieving too, she needed to remember that.

"Of course I do Piper, you know that but… I'm not ready to see him yet, I-I don't think I can do this" He admitted, looking defeated. Piper let go of her anger and walked forward, taking her husband's hands.

"We changed all that Leo, Chris will have grown up with a family that loves him" She told him softly, stroking his cheek gently.

"It's not just that it's…" He broke off, glancing around the attic, "You didn't hold him while he died Piper, I watched my son fade away and I could do nothing to help him… I'm just not ready to see him again so soon" He admitted and Piper dropped her head, blinking away the tears. She didn't need reminded of that pain again, it was still too fresh. Her son died on his mother's bed in his father's arms… such a thing should never happen.

"Leo… look at me" She whispered and she met his eyes, eyes that looked so sad and defeated, "We lost him but… he's not really gone, he's downstairs with Phoebe and Paige and you know what? He's going to grow up into a wonderful, caring young man but only if we can move on and look after him properly" She proposed, eyes wide and pleading. She never got to say goodbye and that was one of the reasons she couldn't move on – she had no idea what Chris' last thoughts were or what words he muttered, she wasn't there for her son when he needed her the most and that was hurting her more than anything else in the world.

"What about personal consequences?" Leo asked and Piper just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Let me deal with the personal consequences, I'm going to see my son and nothing is going to stop me… so, are you with me or not?" She questioned, walking briskly to the middle of the attic and holding out her hand.

"Always" Leo replied though Piper looked at him and only saw fear and sadness spread across his face. He took her hand and together they stood, side by side, staring across the room.

"Hear these words, hear my rhyme,

Witches from my ancestry bloodline,

Remove my son from the future,

Enabling his parents to see his person,

From another place and time" Piper chanted, as clear as bells. She wanted it to work so badly, scratch that, she NEEDED it to work.

"Why's nothing happening?" Leo asked and Piper's heart stopped. Why wasn't it? Tears were threatening to escape from her eyes – for months she had been dreaming of this moment, the moment to finally make up for letting him down and now… just like that… it was gone, torn away from Piper and she felt like breaking down and crying. She needed to see her Chris again, even for just a moment.

Then like a miracle, when Piper felt like collapsing, swirling white balls materialised into a six foot male with unruly dark hair and shining green orbs she would remember anywhere. The breath was knocked from Piper's chest as she took him in – he was the same yet completely different. He stood the exact same but it didn't look like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, his hair was even messier if that was possible and his sense of fashion had drastically changed but the most noticeable difference was his eyes – they no longer held such pain and guilt but… happiness, joy and love and Piper let out a sob of happiness.

"Mom, dad… what's going on? What did I do this time? And before you ask it probably wasn't me" He questioned like talking to them was completely normal. Piper was about to answer when his green eyes went wide and he took a step backwards.

"Oh shoot, no… damn you Wyatt" Chris called out, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He turned back and faced them, a nervous half smile plastered on his face, "You know what, just forget about this I'm not-"But Piper cut him off, a watery smile on her face.

"No sweetie it's okay, we know who you are peanut" She told him, the ache in her chest fiercer than ever – she looked at him and only saw the old Chris and imagined what pain he was in whilst he died… did her baby still suffer through that or did everything completely change like she told people it would?

"You do?" He asked in surprise, visibly relaxing, "Oh good because trying to explain that little situation would've been tricky" He chuckled and that was when Piper rushed into his arms, squeezing the life from him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks – oh god she had him back, Chris was fine and he was here, everything would be okay now.

"Mom are you okay? Um dad… what's going on?" He asked and Piper tilted her sideways to look at Leo – his mouth was gaping open, eyes wide and shocked, his bottom lip quivering.

"Leo… it's really him, it's Chris" Piper vowed, beckoning him forward. Leo looked down at her for a few seconds before giving a shaky nod but not moving any closer.

"The son would like to know what's going on now" Chris spoke, eyes so confused Piper almost laughed. She pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"We just had to know you were okay honey" She said and Chris got a look of realisation on his face before nodding in understanding.

"Oh my… do you remember everything?" Piper questioned in shock, her heart racing. Chris just looked down at her and smirked, the same mischievous glint in his eyes that was easily recognisable.

"Can't tell you that… future consequences remember?" He told her, winking before excusing himself from her embrace and looking nervously towards Leo. Piper didn't come any closer, letting them have their moment.

"Dad… I know this has gotta be hard but you don't have to worry too much about the future, everything will fall into place you'll see" He told him and Piper shed another tear – her son was so compassionate, caring and kind it made her heart warm right up.

"Chris… Chris" Leo mumbled before pulling his son into a tight hug, one that Chris returned.

"Chris I'm so sorry, I'm sorry – I failed you" Leo gasped and Piper just wrung her hands – the guilt Leo was feeling must be absolutely horrendous, she just hoped this visit would help him and do him any more harm.

"No dad you didn't" Chris protested, pulling back, "And I'm not telling you this to make you feel better" The bluntness made Piper smile – he was so much like her and Prue, "But you did it, everything is back to normal and that's because of you dad and… I love you for it" Chris admitted and Piper placed a hand on her chest – oh god were they trying to make her cry? Leo sniffed and just hugged Chris again, and Piper saw, through her own tears, the guilt beginning to leave her husband and smiled.

"I love both of you" Chris admitted, smiling at them and, for the first time in a long time, Piper felt like they were finally a family once more.

"Don't take unnecessary risks, learn your potions, drink safely, don't break the law… that much and for the love of god no unprotected sex – I can't be a grandma that young" Piper rattled off, her maternal instincts returning full force like he hadn't even left in the first place. Chris let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck.

"Mom, we already had this conversation" He told her, smiling that little embarrassed half smile that Piper just loved to see – it had been so long since she'd seen it with her own eyes and not in some pain filled daydream.

"Good to know you haven't changed" Leo smiled, almost looking like his normal self before everything went to hell. Piper just smacked his chest playfully – the last ten minutes had been pure heaven, the best gift of all and she just wished he could stay a little longer. Maybe have a bite to eat, put some meat on his lanky figure and maybe even a haircut… or even just a trim, just to smarten him up a little bit.

"Look, I really wish I didn't have to leave so soon but y'know-"He admitted and Piper held up a hand, stopping him in mid rant.

"It's okay, we get it, this date is really important" She smiled and Chris nodded. In that ten minutes the only thing about the future Chris had divulged was that he was proposing to his girlfriend and he didn't want to mess it up knowing the Halliwell luck. Piper, despite having a massive twenty three year gap to go, had already subconsciously started to pick out the menu and flower arrangements in her head.

"Yeah but not just that, there's future consequences to – I don't want to mess up the future in even worse ways, even me coming here now could be disastrous" he admitted and Piper and Leo shared a look – he may be a completely different Chris but there was no mistaking those neurotics.

"Okay sweetie" She told him, bringing him into a hug, "Just be good and I'll see you in twenty three years" She told him, kissing his cheek as he laughed.

"Yes mom" and Piper watched as he hugged Leo again, "Bye dad, stay sane" Chris told him and Piper let out a chuckle while Leo rolled his eyes, giving Chris a back slap.

"You can count on it" And with that Chris stepped back, standing in the middle of the attic. Piper just continued to smile as she began to read the spell, holding onto Leo's hand for support.

"Send in the future, sudden the past,

Seeing a new what once has past,

Return him now to once he came,

Let him leave this blessed place" She murmured and slowly, white lights began to surround him, making him disappear slowly.

"Oh and that reminds me… please find out all you can about goblins, please, it would save a LOT of trouble" he admitted, smiling lopsidedly before completely disappearing. Piper just watched him leave, a content smile on her face, her fingers laced around her husband's.

"Chris is gonna be just fine" She whispered, snuggling into Leo's chest as he hugged her right back, and Piper felt like she was bathed in sunshine – her son, her peanut, her Chris, was perfect, was alright… and that was all she could ever ask for.

I don't know why but I just had an urge to write this – hope y'all enjoyed and your thoughts would be greatly appreciated – cookies for all! J xx


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